High-sensitivity troponin T is an important independent predictor in addition to the Simplified Acute Physiology Score for short-term ICU mortality, particularly in patients with sepsis

Purpose: Elevated cardiac troponin levels have been shown to be associated with a poor prognosis under some intensive care conditions. This study investigated whether inclusion of high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) increased the prognostic accuracy of the Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS 3) for general intensive care unit (ICU) patients, cardiac arrest patients, or patients with a non-cardiac arrest diagnosis. Materials and methods: We performed a single-center cohort study of ICU patients with an hsTnT measurement on ICU admission at a tertiary university hospital between February 2010 and June 2017. Results: Of 4185 first-time admissions, 856 patients (20.5%) had hsTnT evaluated at ICU admission. Factoring in ICU admission hsTnT values increased the ability of SAPS 3 to accurately predict 30-day mortality (odds ratio 1.27, 95% confidence interval: 1.15–1.41, p < 0.001). Elevated hsTnT levels were not independently associated with 30-day mortality in cardiac arrest patients. In sepsis patients, hsTnT evaluation in addition to SAPS 3 evaluation improved the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve by >10%. Conclusion: Addition of hsTnT evaluation to SAPS 3 enhances the predictive capability of this model in relation to mortality. In sepsis, the hsTnT level may be an important prognostic marker.